Tullius Terentiae et pater Tulliolae, duabus animis suis, et cicero matri optimae, suaviss. sorori S.P.D.
Tullius sends many greetings to Terentia and father sends many greetings to little Tullia, his two dears, and Cicero sends greetings to his greatest mother and sweetest sister.
Si vos valetis, nos valemus.
If you are well, we are well.
Vestrum iam consilium es, non solum meum, quid sit vobis faciendum.
Now your concern, not mine alone, is what you have to do.
Si ille Romam modeste venturus est, recte in praesentia domi esse potestis; sin homo amens diripiendam urbem daturus est, vereor ut Dolabella ipse satis nobis prodesse possit.
If Caesar is about to come to Rome modestly, you will be able to be all right at home for the time being; if this mindless man is about to give the city to be plundered, I fear that Dolabella himself will not be able to help us enough.
Etiam illud metuo, ne iam intercludamur, ut, cum velitis, exire non liceat.
I even fear this, that we may already be shut off, that you won't be able to go out when you want.
Reliquum est quod ipsae optime considerabitis, vestri similes feminae sintne Romae.
There remains a matter which you yourselves will consider greatly, whether or not there are women similar to you in Rome.
Si enim non sunt, videndum est ut honeste vos esse possitis.
For if there are not, you must consider how you are able to be there respectably.
Quomodo quidem nunc se res habet, modo ut haec nobis loca tenere liceat, bellissime vel mecum vel in nostris praediis esse poteritis.
As things stand now, provided that we are allowed to hold this place, you all will be able to be in great comfort either with me or on our estate.
Etiam illud verendum est, ne brevi tempore fames in urbe sit.
Also there must be concern that in a short time that there will be famine in the city.
His de rebus velim cum Pomponio, cum Camillo, cum quibus vobis videbitur, consideretis, ad summam, animo forti sitis.
About these things I would want you to make a plan with Pomponius, Camillo, and with whomever it will seem best to you, in short, you should be of a brave soul.
Vos, meae carissimae animae, quam saepissime ad me scribite et vos quid agatis et quid istic agatur. Vale.
You all, my dearest darlings, write to me as often as possible both what you do and what's happening over there. Goodbye.
Pedem in Italia video nullum esse, qui non in istius potestate sit.
I see that there is no foot in Italy which is not in that man's control.
De Pompeio scio nihil, eumque, nisi in navem se contulerit, exceptum iri puto.
I know nothing about Pompey and I think that unless he boards a ship he will be captured.
Ego quid agam?
What should I do?
Qua aut terra aut mari persequar eum, qui ubi sit, nescio?
On what land or sea should I follow him when I don't know where he is?
Tradam igitur isti me?
Therefore should I surrender myself to that man?
Fac posse tuto (multi enim hortantur), num etiam honeste?
Supposed that I can surrender to Caesar safely (for many are encouraging it), surely I am not able to respectably?
Nullo modo. Equidem a te petam consilium, ut soleo. Explicari res non potest.
In no way. Certainly I will seek a plan from you, as I am accustomed. The matter is not able to be resolved.
Annos undeviginti natus exercitum privato consilio et privata impensa comparavi, per quem rem publicam a dominatione factionis oppressam in libertatem vindicavi.
At the age of the 19 I raised an army of private responsibility and private expense, I freed the republic, which was being oppressed, from the domination of a small group of men.
Eo nomine senatus decretis honorificis in ordinem suum me allegit, C. Pansa et A. Hirtio consulibus, consularem locum sententiae dicendae tribuens, et imperium mihi dedit.
For that reason the Senate enrolled me into their rank when Gaius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius were consuls, they gave to me the right to command an army and the privilege to give an opinion.
Res publica ne quid detrimenti caperet, me pro praetore simul cum consulibus providere iussit.
So that the republic have no harm, the Senate commanded me to look out as a propraetor together with the consuls.
Populus autem eodem anno me consulem, cum consul uterque in bello cecidisset, et triumvirum rei publicae constituendae creavit.
However the people made me consul in the same year when the consuls each perished in battle, and they made me a triumvir for the settling of the state.
Qui parentem meum trucidaverunt, eos in exsilium expuli iudiciis legitimis ultus eorum facinus, et postea bellum inferentes rei publicae vici bis acie.
I drove the men who murdered my father into exile through legitimate tribunals, punishing their crime, and afterwards, when they waged war on the republic, I conquered them in battle twice.
In consulatu sexto et septimo, postquam bella civilia exstinxeram, per consensum universorum potitus rerum omnium, rem publicam ex mea potestate in senatus populique Romani arbitrium transtuli.
In the sixth and seventh consulship, after I had ended the civil wars, I gained possession of all situations by obtaining the consent of all, I transferred the republic out of my power into the control of the Senate and the Roman people.
Quo pro merito meo senatus consulto Augustus appellatus sum et laureis postes aedium mearum vestiti publice coronaque civica super ianuam meam fixa est et clipeus aureus in Curia Iulia positus, quem mihi Senatum populumque Romanum dare virtutis clementiae
For this service of mine, I was named Augustus by the decree of the Senate and the doorposts of my house were publicly adorned with laurels and a golden shield was placed in the Curia Iulia and the inscription of that shield testified to the virtue, mercy
Post id tempus auctoritate omnibus praestiti, potestatis autem nihilo amplius habui quam ceteri qui mihi quoque in magistratu collegae fuerunt.
After that time, I exceeded all in influence, but I had no greater power than the others who were colleagues with me in office.
Bella terra et mari civilia externaque toto in orbe terrarum saepe gessi victorque omnibus veniam petentibus civibus peperci.
I often waged war, civil and foreign, on the earth and sea, in the whole wide world, and as victor I spared all the citizens who sought pardon.
Externas gentes, quibus toto ignosci potuit, conservare quam excidere malui.
Foreign people who could be safely pardoned I preferred to save rather than to exterminate.
Omnium provinciarum populi Romani quibus finitimae fuerunt gentes quae non parerent imperio nostro fines auxi.
I extended the territory of all of the provinces of the Roman people which had neighboring peoples who would not obey our command.
Cum ex Hispania Galliaque, rebus eis provinciis prospere gestis, Romam redii, Ti. Nerone P. Quintilio consulibus, aram Pacis Augustae senatus pro reditu meo consecrandam censuit ad campum Martium in qua magistratus et sacerdotes virginesque Vestales anniv
When I returned to Rome from Spain and Gaul, having successfully accomplished matters in those provinces, when Tiberius Nero and Publius Quintilius were consuls, the senate voted to consecrate the altar of Augustan Peace in the Campus Martius for my retur
Ianum Quirinum quem clausum esse maiores nostri voluerunt cum per totum imperium populi Romam terra marique esset parta victoriis pax, cum priusquam nascerer a condita urbe bis omnino clausum fuisse prodatur memoriae, ter me principe senatus claudendum es
Our ancestors wanted the Ianum Quirinum to be closed when throughout the all the rule of the Roman people, by land and sea, peace had been secured through victory, although before my birth it had been closed twice in all in recorded memory from the foundi
Capitolium et Pompeium theatrum, utrumque opus impensa grandi, refeci sine ulla inscriptione nominis mei.
The Capitol and theater of Pompey both operate at great cost, I restored these without inscribing my name.
Rivos aquarum compluribus locis vetustate labentes refeci, et aquam quae Marcia appellatur duplicavi fonte novo in rivum eius immisso.
I rebuilt the water channels of aqueducts falling apart from old age and I doubled the aqueduct which is named Marcia.
Forum Iulium et basilicam quae fuit inter aedem Castoris et aedem Saturnim coepta profligataque opera a patre meo, perfeci et eandem basilicam consumptam incendio, ampliato eius solo, sub titulo nominis filiorum meorum incohavi, et, si vivus non perfeciss
I completed the Julian Forum and basilica which is between the temple of Castor and temple of Saturn, which was almost completed by my father and I began the basilica that was consumed by fire in the name of my sons and if I should not complete it living,
Duo et octoginta templa deum in urbe consul sextum et auctoritate Senatus refeci.
I rebuilt 82 temples of the gods in the city by the authority of the senate as consul for the sixth time.
Nepotes ex Agrippa et Iulia tres habuit Gaium et Lucium et Agrippam, neptes duas Iuliam et Agrippinam.
From Agrippa and Julia he had three grandsons, Gaius, Lucius, and Agrippa, and two granddaughters, Julia and Agrippina.
Gaium et Lucium adoptavit domi, per assem et libram emptos a patre Agrippa, tenerosque adhuc ad curam rei publicae admovit, et consules designatos circum provincias exercitusque dimisit.
Gaius and Lucius he adopted at home, privately buying them from their father by a symbolic sale and initiated them into administrative life when they were still young, sending them to the provinces and the armies as consuls elect.
Filiam et neptes ita instituit ut etiam lanificio assuefaceret vetaretque loqui aut agere quicquam nisi propalam et quod in diurnos commentarios referretur.
In bringing up his daughter and his granddaughters he even had them taught spinning and weaving, and he forbade them to say or do anything except openly and such as might be recorded in the household diary.
Extraneorum quidem coetu adeo prohibuit ut L. Vinicio, claro decoroque iuveni, scripserit quondam parum modeste fecisse eum, quod filiam suam Baias salutatum venisset.
He was most strict in keeping them from meeting strangers, once writing to Lucius Vinicius, a young man of good position and character, who behaved with too little modesty, because he came to Baiae to greet his daughter.
Sed laetum eum atque fidentem et subole et disciplina domus fortuna destituit.
But when he was happy and confident in his offspring and their training, Fortune deserted him.
Iulias, filiam et neptem, omnibus probris contaminatas relegavit; Gaium et Lucium in duodeviginti mensium spatio amisit ambos, Gaio in Lycia, Lucio Massiliae defunctis.
He found the two Julias, his daughter and granddaughter, guilty of every form of vice, and banished them; He lost Gaius and Lucius within the span of eighteen months, Gaius in Lycia, Lucio in Massilia.
Aliquanto autem patientius mortem quam dedecora suorum tulit.
He bore the death of his kin with far more resignation than their misconduct.
Nam Gai Lucique casu non adeo fractus, de filia absens ac libello per quaestorem recitato notum senatui fecit abstinuitque congressu hominum diu prae pudore; etiam de necanda deliberavit.
For he was not greatly broken by the fate of Gaius and Lucius, but he informed the senate of his daughter's fall through a letter read in his absence by a quaestor, and for very shame would meet no one for a long time, and even thought of putting her to d
Certe cum sub idem tempus una ex consciis liberta Phoebe suspendio vitam finisset, maluisse se ait Phoebes patrem fuisse.
At all events, when one of her confidantes, a freedwoman called Phoebe, hanged herself at about that same time, he said: "I would rather have been Phoebe's father.
Relegatae usum vini omnemque delicatiorem cultum ademit neque adiri a quoquam libero servove, nisi se consulto, permisit, et ita ut certior fieret, qua is aetate, qua statura, quo colore esset, etiam quibus corporis notis vel cicatricibus.
After Julia was banished, he denied her the use of wine and every form of luxury, and would not allow any man, bond or free, to come near her without his permission, and then not without being informed of his stature, complexion, and even of any marks or
Post quinquennium demum ex insula in continentem lenioribusque paulo condicionibus transtulit eam.
Finally, after a period of five years he transferred her off the island to the mainland and a more gentle situation.
Nam ut omnino revocaret, exorari nullo modo potuit, deprecanti saepe populo Romanol et pertinacius instanti, tales filias talesque coniuges pro contione imprecatus.
But he could not by any means be prevailed on to recall her altogether, and when the Roman people several times interceded for her and urgently pressed their suit, he in open assembly called upon the gods to curse them with like daughters and like wives.
Ex nepte Iulia post damnationem editum infantem agnosci alique vetuit.
He forbade this child being born from his granddaughter Julia after her guilty verdict to be raised and acknowledged.
Agrippam nihilo tractabiliorem, immo in dies amentiorem, in insulam transportavit saepsitque insuper custodia militum.
He transferred the no more compliant Agrippa, truly madder day by day, onto an island and moreover contained him by a guard of soldiers.
Cavit etiam senatus consulto ut eodem loci in perpetuum contineretur.
He even took precautions by the advice of the senate that he be held in the same place forever.
Atque ad omnem et eius et Iuliarum mentionem ingemescens proclamare etiam solebat: [Greek], nec aliter eos appellare quam tres vomicas ac tria carcinomata sua.
And he was even accustomed to proclaim, groaning, at any mention of he and Julia's children: "I wish I had remained unmarried and had died without offspring," and to call them nothing else than his three sores and three cancerous ulcers.